Licensing
Alabama's Second Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opens in Talladega
Callie's Apothecary expands beyond Montgomery, bringing regulated cannabis access to patients in the northern half of the state.
Alabama's second medical cannabis dispensary opened Friday in Talladega, about three months after the first storefront launched in Montgomery. The new location is the second for Callie's Apothecary, with more dispensaries expected from multiple licensees in the coming weeks.
Alabama's second medical cannabis dispensary opened Friday in Talladega, roughly three months after the first storefront began serving patients in Montgomery. The new location is the second for Callie's Apothecary, which was the first medical cannabis dispensary to open in the state.
Once the first round of licensees is fully operational, there will be 12 dispensaries across Alabama operated by four companies. Sam Blakemore, chair of the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, said the expansion is a milestone for the state's program, adding that more locations are vital for patient access and affordability.
Vince Schilleci, owner of Callie's Apothecary, said the Talladega location will ease travel burdens for patients in the northern half of the state until more dispensaries open. He noted that patients who were hesitant to drive to Montgomery may now find the trip more manageable.
The Montgomery location opened in June, five years after the Legislature approved a medical cannabis program and following several rounds of litigation over license awards. The store reported about $15,000 in sales in its first week, and more than 800 patients have completed over 1,300 transactions there.
Three companies—CCS of Alabama, LLC, GP6 Wellness, LLC, and RJK Holdings, LLC—hold dispensary licenses. A fourth license is pending litigation but is likely to go to Yellowhammer Medical Dispensaries, LLC. GP6 Wellness expects to open BamaBloom dispensaries in Athens and Birmingham in September, with a third location planned for Etowah County. CCS of Alabama expects to open a third Callie's Apothecary location in Bessemer in September, while RJK Holdings has locations planned in Oxford, Mobile, and Daphne.
Alabama's medical cannabis law, enacted in 2021, allows registered physicians to recommend cannabis for about 15 qualifying conditions, including cancer, depression, Parkinson's disease, PTSD, sickle-cell anemia, chronic pain, and terminal diseases. Patients must receive physician approval and enter the state registry before purchasing products at a dispensary.
Approved product forms are limited to tablets, tinctures, patches, oils, and peach-flavored gel cubes. Raw plant material and smokable forms remain prohibited. AMCC Director John McMillan said the state tightly regulates the industry and that opening a dispensary is not an overnight process, but he praised licensees for moving forward with plans to open first-class dispensaries across the state. At full capacity, the program will include at least 37 dispensaries.